Canadians Reining It In

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Terri Holowath from Cayley, Alta., riding Red Hot Jade in a winning run at Reno, Nev. Photo by Primo Morales.

At the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Celebration of Champions, the NRCHA World Championship Show features the top horses and riders from each of the NRCHA’s eight geographic regions competing for World Championship titles in fourteen exciting events.

Canadians were competing — and winning — in Fort Worth, including Keri Hudson Reykdal from Ashern, Man. Competing for seven years, Keri showed her 12-yearold gelding Don Quejana, a.k.a. Shorty. Purchased from Travis Rempel Performance Horses in 2014, Keri won multiple titles on Shorty in 2015 under the tutelage of horse trainer John Swales. Keri won the Intermediate Non Pro Bridle competition with a score of 214 in the reined work and 219.5 on the cow.

Carlene Schmidt from Airdrie, Alta., has been showing cow horses for about eight years. She competed on her eight-year-old mare Whata Way To Go a.k.a. Josie in the Non Pro Two Rein event. Said Carlene, “I mostly do it on my own, but have had a lot of help from Shawna Sapergia in the reining and Doug Reinhardt for cattle. I’m very lucky to have these great people invest time into me and my horses.”

Carlene won the Reserve Championship in the Non Pro Two Rein event.

Terri Holowath from Cayley, Alta., also competed, riding Red Hot Jade, a.k.a. Jade. The seven-year-old (Smart Little Pepinic x Miss Nica Dual) was purchased from California trainer Jake Gorrell in 2013. Terri’s Canadian trainer is Cody McArthur of Strathmore, Alta.

“Cody was unable to come to Texas with us for this show,” says Terri. “So I was coached by legendary cow horse trainer, Don Murphy, Gainesville, Texas.”

Terri Holowath and Jade finished 5/6 in the Non Pro Two Rein Composite with a score of 284. How close was she? The Champion score was 287.5.